If the Angels were in the midst of winning a second straight AL West title — rather than, arguably, being the majors’ most disappointing team in that time — then Mike Trout might very well be en route to his second MVP award.

OK, maybe enough voters would have honored Miguel Cabrera’s Triple Crown and Trout would have finished second last year, but not in a rout. And, if right now we were hailing the Angels for holding off the A’s and Rangers to capture their division, then Trout likely would be heading for a landslide MVP triumph.

Because Trout pretty much has ended the argument about who is the best all-around player in the majors. And when the best all-around player in the majors has a brilliant season — which Trout again has done — and his team makes the playoffs, he wins the MVP. That is the formula.

But Trout is not going to win again this year. My suspicion is Cabrera will once more because he remains one of the great hitters ever and his Tigers have won a third straight AL Central title.

Is this fair? Trout has nothing to do with the losing. That is due to the malfeasance of Angels owner Arte Moreno, general manager Jerry DiPoto and manager Mike Scioscia.

So we are off again wondering what “valuable” means. I continue to believe the award is not the Best Player Award — if it were that, I wouldn’t be going through such mental contortions. Trout would win. Both our eyes and modern statistics show us that Trout is elite at hitting, fielding and baserunning while Cabrera, for example, is just a brilliant hitter.

But it is not the Best Player Award. And though I know it is no fault of Trout that his team did not contend, it feels what should be honored — if possible — is a player whose great play was central to lifting his team toward what we exalt the most in this country: winning.

Though I will say my thoughts on this continue to evolve because I see the inconsistency of even putting Trout on the ballot. If he doesn’t meet the criteria to be first, why should he be second? Or on that ballot at all? The contortions continue trying to come to peace with the right way to value valuable. My top five:

It feels as if we have to acknowledge Biogenesis somewhere, and though Cruz was having a fine 2013 (27 homers, .841 OPS), his decision (the correct one for him personally) to accept his 50-game suspension rather than appeal dramatically hurt Texas’ offense and playoff chances. The Tigers quickly replaced their suspended player, Jhonny Peralta, with Jose Iglesias. Texas was slower (with Alex Rios) and not as successful. Josh Hamilton improved his numbers in the second half, but his poor first half doomed the Angels and, perhaps, Trout’s MVP chances. Albert Pujols didn’t exactly help either.

McCutchen is in the same sentence with Trout for best all-around player, the star behind Pittsburgh’s first playoff appearance in 20 years. But you want to try something devilish? Figure out the Dodgers’ MVP.

Clayton Kershaw was by far the best pitcher in the league, which had value beyond his thirty-something starts — namely, giving cover early when $147 million man Zack Greinke struggled and was disabled, and being such a quality innings eater that there always was plenty of bullpen for the other starters. Still, the team was nine games under .500 before Yasiel Puig’s energy and talent seemed to turn the season around. But he missed the first two months. Hanley Ramirez had fewer at-bats than Puig but was better and played a more vital position. And manager Don Mattingly said Adrian Gonzalez was MVP.

I will throw one other one at you: Who is Atlanta’s MVP? By traditional stats, Freddie Freeman (.315/23/106) is the man. But advanced stats suggest shortstop Andrelton Simmons might be the best defensive player in the game. And if you had an open draft of all the Braves players, Simmons likely would be picked before Freeman, owing to the importance of the position. Doesn’t that say something about value?

Atlanta won the NL East easily, and its two highest-paid players — Upton and Dan Uggla — tanked. Upton was given the largest position player contract (five years, $75 million) after Hamilton last offseason and never spent one day this year hitting above .200. We should also acknowledge Ike Davis/Lucas Duda/Ruben Tejada, who were given yet another opportunity to be part of the Mets’ future and failed miserably. Has anyone in the majors had his star fall faster than Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro?

In a tight race, he offers the best mosaic: first in wins, second in strikeouts, fourth in innings, fifth in ERA. He leads the AL in OPS against by a good margin, and one item I always look at to get a feel whether a pitcher is getting undue advantages at home is road OPS, and Scherzer’s .517 was tied with Kershaw for the majors’ best — and there was no one else within 49 points of them. It feels like the most valuable pitcher in the league was Boston’s Koji Uehara — who, as the team’s third closer choice, was brilliant. And what if I would have told you at the beginning of the year that Hisashi Iwakuma was going to outpitch Mariners teammate Felix Hernandez?

Zito’s seven-year, $126 million deal was mostly bad for San Francisco, though the Giants won two titles with him, including last year when he was a big contributor. This season, his final one on the contract, was 5-11 with a 5.75 ERA, and 40 more hits (173) than innings pitched (133).

This was a glamour race, Fernandez vs. Puig. Fernandez’s 2.19 ERA was the lowest for a pitcher in his age-20 season since Dwight Gooden (1.53) in 1985 and the sixth-best ever. As opposed to the AL, the NL class was stacked, but still special notice for the Cardinals with Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha, Trevor Rosenthal, Kevin Siegrest, Seth Maness and Matt Adams.

He was brought in to be an antidote to Bobby Valentine — a calming persona who was trusted from the top of the hierarchy to the clubhouse. Mission accomplished. Joe Girardi did a masterful job coaxing contention out of the dying carcass that was the Yankees’ 2013 roster.

Whoever was in the manager’s office when Pittsburgh broke its 20-year playoff/below-.500 hex was pretty much assured of winning this award. But also special notice to Mattingly, who went from nearly fired in early June to a chance to chase his first championship as a player, coach or manager.

What's Your Take?

what an insult. Kimbrel is worthy of the NL Cy Young award, not 5th. 50 saves 4 wins means he was part of 56% of the braves wins, Kershaw 17% of the Dodgers. Kershaw had a low ERA, well so did Kimbrel, a historic 2 years in a row ERA under 1.25. Kimbrel was as, if not more, dominant as any pitcher toeing the rubber. 16-9 is not CY Young like, ERA or no ERA

I am a big Girardi fan but c'mon, the manager of the year stuff is too much. As depleted as the yanks were this season, they still boasted the best second baseman, one of the best pens in the league and half of a cy young year from Kuroda. The division was very flawed and the team will finish well out of first place, about where many expected them to be. This was not the AAA tem you media guys would have you believe and guys like Melvin did more with less.